


Frustration

by Bawsanity (CrowsGirl15)



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: But it's a close call, F/M, Rough Sex, Sexual Frustration, Technically not infidelity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 13:49:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9274760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrowsGirl15/pseuds/Bawsanity
Summary: Noah can't handle Ginny. She finds someone who can.





	1. Frustration

**Author's Note:**

> So thanks to everyone who talked me through my minor freak out about this fic. I think it came out way better than it could have. It's technically a day late for Sinning Sunday, so is this Moaning Monday?
> 
> If you're squeamish about infidelity, fair warning. There is _technically_ no infidelity in this fic, as Ginny and Noah are not exclusive, but it's a close call. I also had to tag Ginny/Noah because I got weirdly graphic about their sex life. Don't worry, Bawson endgame. Obviously.

The first time Ginny had sex with Noah, it was…nice.

Okay, maybe she’s not being fair. It had its moments. The whole night had its moments. From Eliot’s awkward goodbye, Ginny felt herself becoming more and more interested in this billionaire video game mogul. The kiss on the street had been sweet, light, and she’d fallen into it the way she knew she was supposed to. Noah did all the right things, said all the right things, and she was attracted to that. Attracted to him. And when someone does and says all the right things, the right thing to _do_ is to take him back to your hotel room.

And that had felt right too. She was actually _grinning_ as they kissed and fell into her bed, which was exactly what Ginny had always wanted. She wanted a man she could laugh with, smile with, and Noah was checking all her boxes. Sex was supposed to be fun, and this was _fun_ , so she took the next logical step.

And that was fun too.

He helped slide her clothes off like a man who knew what he was doing, and when his hands ran along the skin of her stomach, she could feel goosebumps rising in their wake. His button down got caught as she tried to pull it off, and it sent them both into comfortable laughter, only dying down when his lips attached to her neck and started kissing down her body. Ginny was into it, her body responding, and she knew this was an objectively _good_ sexual experience.

But it was the first time, so there were little things _off_ about their interaction. Noah’s mouth on her neck – usually a pretty strong erogenous zone for Ginny – was so light she actually had to bite back a giggle. When that same mouth found it’s way between her legs (score one for Noah), she tried to guide him to where and how she wanted it, but the slow, soft licks of his tongue just couldn’t get her where she wanted to go. “Faster” and “harder” were met with miniscule responses, until she finally just pulled him up and slid a condom into his hand.

Things got a little better after that, her hips canted upwards and rolling into him, his cock (slightly above average, nothing to write home about) sliding deep into her in a slow, deliberate rhythm. It wasn’t perfect, not exactly what she wanted, but Ginny still came – a pleasant, warm feeling spreading into her stomach as Noah found his release as well.

He held her after, and slept in her bed, and all Ginny could think was how _nice_ the night had felt. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but first times were never perfect, right? The next time would be better.

          ***

The problem was that it _didn’t_ get better. They grew more comfortable around each other, sure, fell into a bit of a routine, but she never got…more.

It wasn’t like Ginny didn’t try. She would be in bed, under Noah’s slow, rhythmic pace, and she would push her hips higher, trying to propel herself with strong thighs. But Noah would instantly guide her back down. And while she could have forced the issue, she always let it go. Because what was the point?

Once, just once, she tried to get Noah to take her against the wall. It had been a particularly good game, she was hyped up, excited, _horny,_ and she didn’t want to wait for the bed. He always liked to kiss her when he walked through the door, so why not push things a bit further?

It was a failed attempt right from the get go. She wrapped a leg up around Noah’s hips, brought a hand down to grab his ass, and even whispered in his ear, “don’t want to wait…”, but he didn’t seem to get it. Instead, he guided her down from the wall and into the bedroom, laying her softly in her bed. Like he always did.

But being with Noah was the right thing. He was supportive, kind, healthy. Even Amelia approved, practically thrumming with excitement when Ginny had told her, no doubt mentally cataloguing all the press this relationship would draw for her. Blip approved, Evelyn was ecstatic, even her mother seemed to like Noah for her.

So Ginny tamped down the part of her that craved things a little harder, a little rougher. She let Noah take control in the bedroom, and stopped her muscles from taking things too far. It wasn’t like the sex was _bad_ after all, so maybe this was the way things were supposed to be.

          ***

They’d been dating 3 months when she finally spoke the words out loud. Not to him, of course, but at a girls night she’d begrudgingly agreed to. Cara came into town for the long weekend, and Evelyn insisted upon an evening of screwdrivers and what she called ‘single girl sex stories’, maintaining that Ginny’s 3 months with Noah didn’t qualify her for relationship status. (“You haven’t even had the talk, Ginny!”)

Four drinks in and copious Cara one night stand stories later, the conversation finally turned to her sex life with Noah, both Evelyn and Cara too drunk to filter what they really wanted to know. Ginny had commandeered the couch (“My room, my rules.”), Ev was holding court in the armchair, and Cara stretched out along the floor with a glass balanced precariously in her right hand.

“Come on, Ginny, give us a _little_ dirt.” Ginny hated when Evelyn’s eyes sparkled like that. She always seemed to end up revealing things she had no intention of speaking aloud.

“Yeah, is he a Christian Grey or a Richard Branson?” Cara waggled her eyebrows, some of her screwdriver sloshing onto the hotel carpet. 

“A Richard Branson?” asked Ginny, shaking her head at the trajectory of the conversation.

“Yeah, you know…a _Daddy_ …” There went those eyebrows again. “The kind of guy who _takes care of you_.” It wasn’t much of a joke, but it still set her and Evelyn off in peals of laughter, much to Ginny’s eyerolling chagrin.

“Is ‘neither’ an appropriate response here?”

“Oh, come one, Gin, you know what we’re asking!” Cara rolled so her chin was on Ginny’s knee, and gave her a pouting, puppy dog face. “Please?” Jesus, she was good. Ginny could never resist the eyes.

“Fine, what do you want to know, what he’s like when we’re alone?” Evelyn’s enthusiastic nod spoke for the room. “Well…he’s…nice."

“ _Nice_?” Cara spat out like it was a dirty word, reeling back like she’d been shot in classic drunken exaggeration.

“Yeah, nice!” Ginny replied, trying to stay upbeat while still coming up with more descriptive words to hide what she really felt. She’d never been good at this stuff, especially when she was purposely trying to mislead. “He’s sweet, you know? Doesn’t take himself too seriously, but focuses a lot on me. He’s really into…romance.”

Even as she was saying the words, Ginny knew she was giving herself away. No one wanted their sex life described as ‘romantic’ or ‘sweet’, especially three months in. That was the time for screaming, pounding the wall, Honeymoon-level sex, and from the looks on her friends’ faces, she could tell they knew that too.

“Oh, honey,” Evelyn shook her head, those sparkling eyes now radiating pity. “Romance?”

Ginny downed her drink with a sigh and lay back on the couch, her own filter finally dropping in her drunken state. “I knoooow,” she groaned out, and put her hand over her eyes. “But he’s so sweet, you know? And it’s not like it’s not…”

“Do you get off?” Cara interrupted, and Ginny gaped at the question. But her friend just shrugged and barreled forward. “What? This is girl talk! It’s just us…do you get off?”

Ginny gave her a leveling stare, but there wasn’t much heat behind it. “Of course I do.” She paused, thinking about their last encounter. She’d been on top, trying to grind out an orgasm. She got close too, letting her wide hips propel her, but Noah kept slowing her down, stopping her from bouncing the way she wanted to. It resulted in some theatrical moaning she wasn’t proud of and even more late night frustration. “Most of the time.”

“ _Most_ of the time?” Evelyn’s voice was at a straight up screech, and Ginny threw a pillow at her.

“Yeah, most of the time…but it’s not that, it’s just…” She bit her lip, trying again. “It just doesn’t always feel like he can handle me.”

That got both their attention, and Cara crawled over to the side of the couch to rest closer, her eyes the ones twinkling now. “Oooh, are you hard to handle?” Earning her a smack with the pillow, but also a laugh from Ginny.

“No, just…you know like when a guy’s really into you? And he comes through the front door and throws you up against the wall cuz he has to have you right then? Or he pulls your hair a little rougher than he meant to, because he just can’t help himself? Or he gives you the kind of sex where your knees are shaking so hard after you can’t stand up?” She looked at her friends, both watching her with rapt attention. Cara looked damn near turned on.

“So, you want things rougher?” Her voice was gravely when she finally spoke, and Ginny shook her head.

Evelyn answered for her, “No, she wants things more passionate.”

Ginny pointed at her with a nod, and downed her screwdriver before sitting back up. “Maybe a little? But seriously, it’s fine. Things with Noah are fine. We’ll get there.”

           ***

But things _weren’t_ fine. And somehow, voicing things out loud just made it worse. Now, every time she spent a night with Noah, she left even more frustrated and wanting than she was when she went in. It had to be a problem with her, because Noah was fantastic in every other way. It wasn’t his fault she was an athletic freak show that couldn’t properly get off without being pounded into the mattress.

The frustration began to seep into her everyday life. She was jumpy, irritable, and people started to notice. Amelia accused her of being short with the press (a cardinal sin, to be sure). Livan – who’d become one of her closest confidants in the clubhouse – kept a wide berth after she exploded on him for taking _her_ bike. Even Al kept asking her what was wrong, which was definitely a sign things were going too far.

Mike was one of the few who didn’t say anything about her agitated attitude, but she could tell he noticed. Could tell by the way he seemed to be treating her with kid gloves, not giving her critiques, not razzing her for shaking off his calls. He spoke to her when necessary, but for the most part stayed out of her way unless he had something nice to say, which was more than a little disconcerting. If Ginny was honest with herself, she missed the insults, missed their clubhouse banter, which had finally been back to normal after the awkwardness at Boardners. But she had no one to blame but herself.

         ***

She was three innings in to a truly _terrible_ Sunday afternoon start when she realized that her sexual frustration was starting to spill over onto the field. She’d allowed four runs in just three innings, and it was a miracle of Al’s faith in her – and a bullpen that had been beat up with extras the day before – that she was even allowed to stay in the game. But off the mark pitches had her even more frustrated than she was when she walked out there, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Alright, Baker, what’s going on?” Mike approached the mound, a glove trained over his mouth. Ginny couldn’t deal with this right now, couldn’t deal with having to explain herself. All she wanted to do was pitch.

“Nothing, I’m fine, give me the ball.” She put out her glove to take it, but he gave her that patented ‘Captain’ look, and she dropped her hand, knowing the speech was coming.

“Not gonna do that, Rook. You were snappy with me before the game-“

“Snappy?”

“-you practically took Al’s head off in the dugout, and don’t think I didn’t see you running at a 10.4 this morning on a day you start. What gives?” Something about the intensity in his eyes made her want to tell him. Maybe it was the fact that he had been paying such close attention, but something made her want to blurt out exactly what was wrong and maybe – just maybe – invite him to help her fix it.

 _Woah, where the hell did that come from? Get it together, Baker_. Ginny shook off the momentary lapse and stuck her hand out once again, looking anywhere but Mike’s eyes.

“It’s _nothing_ , Lawson, just a bad day. I’m good, I’ll get it together, give me the ball.”

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something. Like maybe he could read beyond her expression and had an inkling of what was going on with her. But it lasted just a fleeting moment before he was dropping the ball in her glove and turning to walk back to home plate. “Fine.”

When the ball went sailing over his head on the next pitch, Ginny knew it was anything but.

          ***

The win came as a pleasant surprise for the entire team. Ginny didn't get the W, that was awarded to Margolis, who managed 2 shutout innings while Blip and Mike picked up her slack at the plate. All the same, the team was feeling good enough to crowd around a table at some hole in the wall bar and drink pitcher upon pitcher of domestic beer (taking advantage of the Monday off day). Ginny played along, but couldn't stop the disappointment and frustration from taking over her face. She was  _still_  just as keyed up as she'd been before the game, and, to top it all off, she hadn't played well. It crossed her mind to text Noah - that having her boyfriend around was supposed to make her  _calm_  in situations like this - but she begrudgingly admitted to herself that it may do more harm than good considering the source of her irritation.

It took about 30 minutes of silence before her  _loving_ teammates set their sights on her attitude.

"Geez, Baker, lighten up! We won!" Sonny jostled her shoulder, and she gave him what she thought would be a wide smile, but came out tight and false.

Mike’s voice was the last thing she wanted to hear. "Seriously, Rook, what gives? You've been ready to bite heads off all week." The snappy ‘I’m not a rookie anymore’ retort danced across her tongue, but, remembering his admonishment on the mound, she settled for a leveling, harsh look and turned back to her beer. She hoped it would be enough to end the conversation, but as soon as she caught sight of Blip's amused eyes, she knew she was in for it.

"She needs to get some," Blip laughed into his drink, and Ginny’s look turned wide-eyed and incredulous as the team guffawed around her.

"Ohhhh, that it, Mami? Feelin' a little...frustrated? That billionaire not putting out?" Livan's dimples, usually a source of comfort, made Ginny want to throw things at him or disappear into the chair, whichever would be easier. "You know, I'd be happy to-"

She cut him off with another harsh glance. "I'm getting  _plenty_ , thank you."

"Just not the kind you need," Blip murmured under his breath, loud enough for a few selected teammates to hear and a smattering of laughter to stretch around the table.

"Your wife has a big mouth," she grumbled, earning a snort from Blip, a contemplative, narrow-eyed expression from Mike, and that was that. The table turned to razzing on Stubbs for the groupie he was making eyes at, and the conversation was put to bed.

Or so she thought.

          ***

The night lasted another couple of hours, and Ginny managed to ease into the evening. She was still keyed up, still frustrated, but she at least succeeded in enjoying herself. For a little while. But she still left before everyone else, letting out one more cheer about their win before going to catch her Uber, steeling herself for another night of lonely frustration.

"Hey, Rook, need a ride?" She turned to see Mike catching up to her, and her brow furrowed in confusion when he stopped in front of her.

"I got one. Right there.” She pointed to the car waiting for her, and turned back to her captain. The moment was familiar, a glimpse of another time, not long ago, when he wished her goodbye in front of a waiting car. It was something Ginny didn’t usually let herself think about, but with the revelations tonight, she could stand a traitorous thought or two.

“Ah. I see,” he nodded at the driver and then turned back to her. “Well, then, want any company?” Ginny’s expression must have been incredulous enough to give her away, because he laughed and shrugged, a hand pressing against the back of his neck. “Look, I don’t claim to be an expert in bad sex.” Oh. This was happening. This conversation was _actually_ happening. “I’ve made it a point not to learn. But if you need someone to show you how it should be done…”

She was pretty sure her vision went black at the suggestion. She couldn’t quite believe the words were coming out of his mouth. She couldn’t quite believe she was actually considering it. She couldn’t quite believe she had to respond now.

“Are you saying that someone should be you?” Good, her voice didn’t shake. She even managed a cocked brow so her inner freak out would be less noticeable. It wasn’t like she hadn’t considered this moment. Hell, since she was 17 and starting to realize how sex worked, she’d considered the possibility of getting to do it with Mike Lawson. Sure, at that point it was a pipe dream, something to get her off late at night when porn would wake her parents, but he was still there. In her mind’s eye.

And now he was there in the flesh, all 6’0”, 210 muscular pounds of him, and she knew, even then, that she was going to say yes.

“If the billionaire won’t mind.” And there it was. He was giving her the out. She could say her boyfriend wouldn’t like that. She could get into the car and go home, spend the night with her vibrator, pretend this never happened.

She didn’t.

“No, that’s just…” She licked her lips and tried again. “We’re just dating.”

And it was true. They’d never said they were exclusive. And though part of Ginny admitted that was because they were both too busy to entertain the thought of other prospects, another, more overwhelming part knew that the lack of definition was going to give Mike the go ahead.

So she cocked a brow and opened the door to the Uber, licking her lips in his direction and hoping her words came out sexier than they seemed in her head.

“Alright, Old Man. You coming?”  
  


         ***

From the second they entered her hotel room, things felt…different. Where Noah’s eyes always glowed, exuberant and loving, Mike’s looked almost predatory, dark, as they stalked her into the room and let the door close behind them. His hands were on her before she could even think of a clever thing to say, spinning Ginny to face the wall and pressing her wrists up over her head, his lips attacking the skin at the base of her neck.

 _Ohhhh, yes. That’s what I like._ Ginny gasped and let her hips press back against Mike’s, refusing to hold back. That’s not what this night was about. Already, she was more turned on than she’d been in _months_ , and if Mike was up for giving her _exactly_ what she wanted, she was damn sure going to take it.

His mouth was close to her ear now, whispering things she’d never thought would fall from her captain’s lips. The kind of things that made her weak in the knees, and so wet between her legs she was sure it would seep through her performance Lycra.

“That’s right, Baker, that what you needed? Needed someone to toss you around a little? To show you who’s boss?”

“Fuck…” she growled out, but slammed her hips back a little more and tilted her head, wriggling her hands from his grasp. “Don’t need to be dominated, Mike. Everyone knows I’m the boss…”

It earned her a responding growl, and her hands were lifted once more, secured in one of his palms while the remainder of his big, strong fingers pressed against her stomach. “Oh, is that right?” The hand was sliding down now, tugging at the fabric of her pants and forcing them down to the floor along with lace panties, helping her step out before tossing them to the side. Ginny heard a soft, desperate whine echoing in the hotel room, and it took a good minute before she realized it was her. Mike’s hand was searching now, forcing her legs apart and sliding between them to run his middle finger down her slit. A chuckle vibrated against her ear as he trailed the wetness up to her clit, and a flash of both want and anger shot up her spine.

“Cuz I think you like being dominated, Ginny,” he hissed louder, rubbing in response to her keening moan. “I think you like when I take charge.”

She was panting now, desperate for his touch, and his fingers. But it really _wasn’t_ what she’d had in mind tonight. She didn’t invite Mike over to take control. She invited him here because they were equals in _every_ way – especially physically. She invited him here because he could handle her.

She could hear Cara’s words echoing in her brain as she distracted him with a rotation of her hips and wrenched her hands from his grasp once more, turning to face him with an almost daring gaze. He looked downright shocked at the turn of events, but far from uninterested, one eyebrow cocking up higher to reveal more of his dark, wanting eyes.

“Look, Lawson…” She pushed him back a little, and he let her, his own back dangerously close to the other side of the foyer. “I didn’t say yes to your proposition because I wanted to be a casual observer.” His shoulders hit the wallpaper, and she invaded his space with her entire body. The shocked look was gone now, replaced by a desperate, wanting gaze that she was sure rivaled her own. “You’re _here_ because I need someone to handle what _I_ have to give. So while the manhandling was fun and all…how about you let me show you what _I_ can do?”

Ginny was in the air before she knew what hit her, Mike’s arms coming down to propel her upward and carry her over to the bed. She took the opportunity to finally kiss him, tugging his head toward hers and attacking his mouth, sliding her tongue along his and resisting the urge to bite the way she wanted. There was plenty of time for that later.

Mike actually threw her on the bed, and Ginny wanted to protest. She wanted to ask if he’d even listened to her speech back there…but the tossing also did it for her in a very real way, so she opted for fisting a handful of his button down and pulling him down to join her on the bed.

Their clothes were removed blessedly quickly from there, Ginny’s shirt tossed to the floor, and Mike’s shirt and jeans removed while she struggled with the skin tight sports bra. When they were finally naked, she couldn’t help but preen from the way he took his time grazing his eyes over her body, lingering at her full breasts and down at her thighs.

“A baseball uniform doesn’t do you justice, Baker,” he waggled his eyebrows, and she laughed with a headshake, pushing herself up to lean against the headboard.

Maybe sex could be fun _and_ passionate.

She beckoned him forward with her finger and he went easily, his hands pulling her knees open so he could work his way between them. Ginny leaned in for the kiss, but he licked at her lips instead, winking before kissing his way down her torso and trailing his tongue along her hipbones. He was teasing her, she knew he was, and while part of her wanted to let him, a much more dominant part wanted to push his head down and force him where she wanted him.

That part won out easily.

With a low growl, she took a handful of his hair and guided him down to her pussy, still glistening from his hand just moments before. Grinning, Mike happily obliged, licking forward for a soft taste before pushing her thighs wider and attacking her cunt with his mouth.

The licks were hard and deliberate, licking from her opening and settling with a hard suck at her clit. While Ginny had no doubt that Mike would take direction well in this situation, she was quickly struck by the fact that he needed no instruction. His tongue alternated between hard strokes and light teasing, two fingers sliding easily into her entrance, and Ginny couldn’t remember a time her body responded this quickly to a guy eating her out.

With no necessary instruction, she settled for encouraging moans, her hips rolling upward to meet his mouth in a sort of aggressive dance. He took as well as he gave, his fingers scissoring deeper to find her G-spot, and she actually _screamed_ when he reached it, her hand tugging shamelessly at his hair.

That had never happened before. Leave it to Mike Lawson to make her a screamer.

She lasted an embarrassingly short time after that, her thighs pressed vice-like against his ears and her hard orgasm shooting through her, practically exploding against his face. He licked her through it, only stopping when her hips settled against the bed, and he rose covered in her juices.

 _That’s how it’s supposed to feel_.

Ginny pulled Mike up into her arms, kissing him appreciatively as she struggled to catch her breath. He grinned against her lips, proud and cocky, and he shook his head when she finally pulled back.

“Hope you’re not done, Rook. I have so many more plans for you…” She rolled her eyes and smacked his side playfully, but still hooked her leg around his hips and rolled Mike onto his back, straddling him easily. The look on his face was a mix of amusement and disbelief, and Ginny felt an unhealthy amount of pride at the way he reacted to her. It was the kind of thing she would feel comfortable exploring for a long time to come…but that was a thought she couldn’t let herself entertain. At least not tonight. She was fairly certain this was a one-time offer.

“Please,” she scoffed as she reached toward the nightstand. “I’m just getting started.” She pulled a condom out and slid it into his hand, cocking a brow down at him. “But, just for the record, you know I’m not a rookie anymore, right?”

He laughed as he ripped open the foil packet and rolled the latex down over his (huge, legendary, mind blowingly thick) cock. “Hey, you’re a rookie at this, aren’t you? This is your first time at the Mike Lawson Experience.” His eyebrows did that thing again, and she actually groaned, shaking her head.

“You say it like you’re a fucking amusement park, you know that?” But she slid back anyway, letting her strong hand guide him toward her entrance.

“Well, you’re about to take a ride, aren’t you?” The bad joke deserved a witty retort. It deserved some razzing and a few eyerolls. It probably deserved her rolling off of him and giving him a long lecture about sexual etiquette.

But if any girl could do any of those things with Mike Lawson’s thick cock sliding into her cunt, she deserved a medal.

Instead, Ginny let out a surprised gasp at the way it stretched her, letting the muscles of her thighs push downward until he bottomed out, completely sheathed inside her. It was only then that she let her eyes meet his. She was sure she looked ridiculous, undoubtedly blown out, maybe a little desperate, but the look of awe he centered in her direction was enough to make any self conscious fear fly out the window. All she wanted was to give him more.

Her first thrust upward was tentative, testing the waters, a very slight glide up his cock and then back down. Mike let out a frustrated groan and brought his hand up to meet her hip, rolling his own up to meet her body.

“Come on, Baker,” he practically growled at her as she paused above him. “Thought you were hard to handle…”

Oh, it was on.

Focusing on her thighs, Ginny propelled her body upward and practically slammed it back down against him, her hips stirring at the bottom before repeating the action, setting a deep, quick rhythm. It was what she’d wanted for _months_. She knew it now. All those times with Noah, all she wanted was _this_. A strong, thick man with a cock to match, muscles to boot, a long beard that tickled her nipples when he ran it against her chest…

_Holy shit. You wanted Mike Lawson._

And if his reaction was any indication, he knew it. But in that moment, Ginny didn’t care. All she wanted was to ride him with reckless abandon. All she wanted was to show him exactly what her body could do.

Unsurprisingly, Mike had other plans.

With a quick flex of his abs, Mike sat up and anchored his hands on her hips, propelling his own upward to match her thrusts. They were gasping now, sweat pouring between them as he forced her body to bounce on his dick.

He was leaving bruises, but Ginny didn’t care. The bed was pounding against the wall, but she didn’t care. She was letting out loud, desperate screams, and she didn’t care. All she wanted was more. More Mike, more this, more hard, pounding sex.

In the end, it was his command that did it after all. She could feel his body tightening beneath hers, and he leaned forward to nip at her earlobe before whispering, low and strained. “Come with me, Ginny…”

And, for once, she did as she was told. Her eyes flashed white, every muscle in her body tensed. Where she was screaming just moments earlier, she’d gone completely silent now, but there was no mistaking that she had lost control. When she finally came down, it was boneless and fluid, her body actually _collapsing_ on top of Mike’s.

She had a vague idea that he had come too from the way he stroked her spine lazily and struggled to catch his breath. When she finally felt capable of moving, Ginny pushed up to look down at his face, surprised to find a gaze of pure adoration leaking through his expression.

She wanted to say something. Wanted to thank him for giving her what she needed. Wanted to tell him this could never happen again. Wanted to tell him she needed this to happen again every day for the rest of her life. She felt open, vulnerable, desperate to connect, and she settled for resting her head on his chest and letting him slide out of her spent body, careful to secure the condom.

His other hand was still stroking her, still connected to Ginny’s skin, and she swallowed hard when he finally spoke.

“I know that was stupid. I know we shouldn’t have done it, and things will be a mess tomorrow,” he sighed and kissed her shoulder, and Ginny squeezed tighter, involuntary. “But tell me one thing. Are you gonna calm down in the clubhouse now?”

She laughed, the spell broken, and kissed his chest, pulling up to look at him. “For a little while, maybe,” she winked, her eyes mischievous. “But now I know where to come for stress relief.”

“Stress relief?” He cocked a brow at her.

“Therapy?”

He laughed and shook his head, pulling her down for a sweet, slow kiss. “You’re gonna be the death of me, Baker.”

“I damn sure hope not.”


	2. so tired of endless art

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My contribution to Sinning Sunday. The angst got away from me, but I _think_ I made up for it?
> 
> Major props to selina-kyle21 for forcing me to write, and for coming up with the awesome idea for how the Noah/Ginny scene should go...

Ginny wasn't sure exactly what she'd been expecting when she woke up the next morning. The biggest part of her had expected Mike to be long gone, maybe with a 'see you at BP tomorrow' note to remind her of their evening in his wake. A smaller ( _more optimistic_ ) part of her expected him to still be there, but in a passed out, exhausted way, maybe even on the couch.

What no part of her expected was to wake up with her head pillowed on Mike's chest and his hand settled on the curve of her ass while he breathed into her hair. Her inner self warred between springing out of bed and throwing clothes on immediately and staying curled up around her captain for as long as she was able. He was just so warm, firm, _big_ underneath her…but the night was over, and reality was going to set in any minute now.

_You got this, Baker, one foot and then the other. One, two…_

“Rookie, it’s 7am, stop thinking so loudly,” rumbled from above her, and she lifted her chin just slightly to see Mike’s face, one eye closed and the other quirking open to look at her. She stayed frozen in her position, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Lines she should be saying ran through her brain. Lines like, _“that probably shouldn’t happen again,”_ and, _“this was a bad idea,”_ and, _“see you tomorrow.”_

“I have to get to the gym soon,” came out instead, and was met with a soft chuckle from the man above her.

“And here I thought you might be up for round 2,” he shook his head. “I should have known your workout regimen would get in the way.” He patted her ass lightly before lifting his hand and pushing to a sitting position, bones cracking as he went and forcing her to rise as well.

“Gotta keep biology at bay,” she said lamely, wondering if this sounded like their normal interactions. She couldn’t tell anymore.

“Well I, for one, am taking the off day that God intended,” he chuckled and pushed away from her, retrieving his boxers from the floor. “But you go, get ready. Do you at least have _coffee_ in that abomination they call a kitchen?” He quirked a brow back at her again, and she swallowed hard before nodding.

“Coffee, yes, but not much else,” she hoped the teasing grin looked normal. Apparently she’d forgotten how they were supposed to behave around each other. He nodded in approval and walked out of the bedroom, giving Ginny an unobstructed view of his perfect posterior – back, ass, thick thighs. She ogled him shamelessly until he disappeared from view, and finally slid out of bed to walk to the bathroom.

          ***

When she emerged from the shower, Ginny was finally starting to feel at least _somewhat_ back to normal. It had been her experience that there was nothing scalding hot water couldn’t fix, not even morning after awkwardness with the man who had fucked your brains out just hours earlier. She could feel a calmness radiating through her body, and she once again considered the night before. Apparently, it had done the job.

Nerves steeled for the time being, she contemplated putting on her workout clothes before going to greet Mike, but decided against it, opting for panties and the Omni-branded robe. Hell, the man had already seen her naked. What was she trying to hide?

But she still wasn’t prepared for the sight of Mike Lawson, in just a pair of baggy jeans, pouring two cups of coffee in her kitchenette. It was enough of a surprising image to make her pause in the living room and quirk her head to the side, not sure she was really seeing this. The domesticity of the situation struck her, but she forced herself to shake it away and go to join him, leaning back against the counter as he fussed with the machine.

_One time thing. Just a favor for a friend. Not domestic._

Mike’s smile still caught her off guard. And when he handed her the mug, his body pressed forward into her space, Ginny knew she was done for. She met his eyes with an unspoken challenge, and sipped from her coffee (two sugars, exactly how she liked it) before placing the mug on the counter behind her. His gaze was dark again, eyes narrowed, and she felt her body respond to just the look.

“You know, you don’t have to go all the way to the gym to get a workout,” Mike brought his own mug down beside hers and slid his hands over to anchor on her hips.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” She teased and pressed forward into his touch.

“Cuz I can give you one right here.” And with barely any movement, he lifted her up to sit on the counter, licking his lips in a way Ginny was pretty sure was unconscious.

"This kitchen isn't really big enough for morning sex," she laughed, but wrapped her arms around his neck anyway to pull him toward her body.

"I think we can improvise..." He brought his hands up to her thighs, and pushed her back on the shallow counter to press against the breakfast bar. With a wink, he dove in to anchor her hips to the marble and suck at her pulse point easily. Ginny keened backwards and brought a hand up to tug on his hair, probably a bit harder than was necessary. But that was the point, right? She could be as hard as she wanted...

She got so lost in the sensation of Mike's mouth on her neck, his solid body pressed flush against hers, that she almost didn't hear the chime of the cell phone beside her. But could anyone blame her? A shirtless Mike Lawson was enough to drive any girl to distraction. She did hear it, however, the telltale beeps of the Mario theme. She knew that ring.

 _Fuck_.

Mike looked down at her phone before she could grab it, seeing Noah's face emblazoned across the screen. Ginny froze, not sure about proper etiquette here. What was the right thing to do when your boyfriend called while you were still touching your one night stand/team captain?

_A one night stand/team captain who gave you the best sex of your life last night, and was well on his way to making it a two-day stand._

She stayed frozen as Mike pushed up to a standing position and stepped away from the counter. She instantly missed his touch, his breath, his lips. Where his face had been light and teasing just moments before, the storm clouds had taken over, though he tried to hide it behind a wide grin.

"You should probably get that," he gestured to the phone. The smile didn't meet his eyes. "Wouldn't want to keep a billionaire waiting." And he retrieved his shirt from the floor, tugging it over his head before grabbing his leather jacket from where it had dropped in the entrance last night.

Ginny hopped off the counter and lifted the phone, but didn't answer, her eyes trained on Mike. "Mike, I..."

"It's cool, Baker, we're good," he flashed the smile again, and a wink that almost seemed sarcastic, though she was sure he didn't intend for it to. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And he was out the door before she could respond, her voice caught in her throat. Another chime of the phone broke her from her reverie, and she swallowed hard before lifting it to her ear.

"Hey Noah!" Her voice came out high and false, and she prayed he couldn’t tell.

“Hey, there’s my girl! On your way to the gym?” The fact that he knew her schedule only served to make her feel guilty, and she stole a glance at the closed door before heading to her room to get changed.

“Just about, got a late start!” She put him on speaker as she pulled on leggings and a tank top.

“You want to talk about last night?” Ginny froze with her sports bra half on, her mind racing. He couldn’t know. How could he know? Did someone see them get in the car together? Were there pictures? Did she butt dial him when Mike had her pressed against the wall, his fingers in her- “I know it wasn’t a great start for you, but at least the team won, right?”

_Right. The game. Of course he was talking about the game._

“Yeah, you know how I get, though, probably going to spend some time with Buck later today.” Ginny hoped whatever she was saying made at least a modicum of sense, because Noah deserved attention, and she _was_ excited to hear from him.

She could also feel the bruises on her thighs from where Mike had held her down.

“So what are you up to?” The high, fake voice was back, but Ginny couldn’t seem to control it.

“Just got into town for a few meetings. Are we still on for dinner tonight with your off day?” Right, dinner. Noah was coming down for dinner.

“Uh huh!” She grabbed her room key and gym bag and headed out the door, cradling her phone between her ear and shoulder. “Text me when your meetings are over, we can meet at my place.”

“Looking forward to it…” His voice was low, seductive, and when they hung up, Ginny could feel the guilt wash over her once again. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong – they weren’t exclusive, after all – but she couldn’t help but feel like a girl dating Noah Casey shouldn’t need something else. She should be satisfied.

          ***

Despite the guilty pit that had taken up residence in Ginny’s stomach, the night with Noah was soft, pleasant, and everything she’d come to expect during their short foray into dating. He opened the door for her, pulled out her chair, made sure their table at the restaurant was out of sight of prying eyes. He listened to her complaints about yesterday’s game, and waited until she asked to talk about himself. He was a good boyfriend (if she could be so bold as to use that word), and she managed to not let her mind wander once during the entire evening.

It wasn’t until they were back at her place that the night before began to rear its ugly head.

As soon as they walked through the door, the place felt like a mausoleum of her night with Mike. It was immaculately clean ( _thank God for housekeeping_ ), but the ghosts of what were still lingered behind. Like always, Noah took the opportunity to kiss her as soon as the door closed – but it was sweet, romantic, nothing like being pushed up against the wall and having your clothes ripped off.

 _Focus, Baker, this isn’t about that_.

Things improved slightly from there. She let Noah take charge, guiding her to the bed, and even allowing him to pull her dress off, slow and sensual, along with his own clothes. After that, it was all delicate caresses and languid kisses, that admittedly got her body reacting in a not unpleasant way. She kept her mind focused on Noah as his tongue licked softly against her, right where she needed it. It felt good – surprisingly good – but it still wasn’t going to get her where she needed to go.

Staving off a frustrated sigh, Ginny pulled him up, which he took as a sign she wanted to move things forward. He retrieved a condom from his wallet before sliding into her the way he always did, slow, deep, and romantic. She tried to focus on the sensation of his body over hers, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

She dug her nails into Noah’s shoulders, murmured “harder” into his ear, but it was to no avail. Bringing a hand down to strum at her clit helped, but not enough, and she knew it would take something very, very different if she was going to get there. She looked down at the sheets beneath them and got a flash of something she wouldn’t be able to deny later, even to herself. _Mike Lawson_ , his hands tugging at her hair, bruising her hips, her ass bouncing hard down against his thighs…

It happened embarrassingly quickly after that. Ginny’s orgasm barreled through her, coursing through her body and forcing her to shudder around Noah’s thrusts. It was barely a second before he was coming along with her, hips still, heat rushing through his skin. They both came down panting, shivering, and Noah fell to the side so he could gather her into his arms.

“Wow, Gin…that was amazing.”

It was. It was incredible. And she gave him the smile and the ‘thank you kiss’ to prove it. But she couldn’t stop the guilt from radiating through her body. Non-exclusive was one thing, but actually picturing another man while in the throws of passion was very much something else. She needed to not do that again.

She needed Noah to be enough.

          ***

When she entered the clubhouse the next day, the guilty feeling hadn’t gone away, but at least the night with Mike (and the inadvertent second appearance) had the desired effect. She had an extra bounce in her step. Gone was the resting Bitch face and snappy, pissed off attitude. She was back to regular, fun loving Ginny, and the guys took notice.

“Nice to have you back, Mami, finally over that loss?” Livan said after their bike warmup, giving her the knowing wink and dimply grin that had always characterized their friendship. She tossed a towel at him before heading toward her changing area.

Sonny was the next to point it out, jostling her with his shoulder. “You gonna finally cheer for me again during my start?” To which she rolled her eyes and responded, “If you give me something to cheer about!”

Blip followed her to her isolated corner of the clubhouse, closing the door before giving his opinion. “So the Billionaire finally got it together, huh? I saw him in the stands watching you warm up.” He perched on the chair as she pulled out her uniform and gave him a look.

“You know you’re worse than your wife, right?” She shook her head and pulled her hair into the trademark ponytail.

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong, does it? Homeboy finally did it right…” She hated everything about that sentence, and gave him to glare to prove it, but it only served to elicit a cackling laugh from Blip.

“If I tell you yes, will you go away and let me change?”

“You don’t have to tell me yes, Ginny, Blip knows all,” and he gave her one last wink before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Ginny took a deep breath and got changed, realizing that the only person who hadn’t been ribbing her out there was the one who should be getting the gratitude after the other night. In fact, Mike Lawson had been nowhere to be seen, and she wondered for a moment if he was avoiding her. _Damn, if Blip really knew all…_ She shook the thought away as soon as it arose. It was a one time thing, designed to get her head screwed back on straight. It was nothing.

          ***

But it didn’t feel like _nothing_ when Mike made his grand entrance, emerging from the trainers room during Al’s pregame speech. At least he was fully dressed, for once, but the look he sent in Ginny’s direction made her feel completely exposed. Raw, actually, and she wondered if she’d imagined the awkwardness at the end of their morning because this felt like something completely different.

She held back momentarily as Al led the team onto the field, joining Mike for the short stroll through the tunnel. She wanted to say something, to ask if they were alright, if they’d be cool after everything that had happened. An absurd part of her wanted to thank him for the other night, but it felt so clichéd and foolish that she quickly tamped that down.

In the end, it was him who spoke, under his breath, his eyes trained on the team in front of them.

“Glad to see you’ve finally calmed down, Rook,” he murmured as they exited the tunnel. “You ever need a refill, you let me know.” And he left her gaping and shocked ( _and, if she was honest, a little turned on)_ , frozen in the field entrance. A smile and an eye roll was all he got before she went to find her usual spot in the dugout.

          ***

Her good mood lasted about a week. It turns out, good sex really _can_ only get you so far before you need a refresher, and with no one but her vibrator to offer any relief, she made it 7 days.

The first sign that something was wrong came at breakfast, when she snapped at Amelia for reminding her about an interview she had scheduled before the game. She apologized, and Amelia easily let it go, but the damage was done. Next, it was frustration at her Uber for not picking her up in the right spot. (That one she managed to keep in check. She wasn’t going to become the type of ballplayer who snapped at people making 1/20th of her salary). And after the game - one in which she didn’t even pitch - she was practically bouncing off the walls in her hotel room, trying to get some relief.

She tried to blame it on her hands when she dialed Mike’s number. Tried to convince herself that it was an unconscious action, one she had no control over. But the way she bit her lip when he finally picked up gave her away.

“Hey, Captain,” she said, too brightly, and it was met with a snort on the other end of the phone.

“Well hi there, Baker. How are you this evening?” His tone was mocking, a light tease behind his words, and she got the feeling he knew where this was headed.

She played dumb all the same. “I’m doing alright, a little bored. What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing. Watching tonight’s highlights.”

“Cool.”

A silence stretched over their conversation, and Ginny realized, not for the first time, that she didn’t know how to do this. She didn’t know how to invite him over, or invite herself over. She didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted.

Luckily, he helped her out.

“Ginny…” The use of her first name caused a flush to spread across her body, and she inwardly chastised herself for the reaction. _Scratching an itch_. “Did you want to watch tonight’s highlights with me?”

They both knew what he meant. It didn’t have to be spoken. And she nodded before she realized he couldn’t see her, and swallowed hard before responding. “Text me your address?”

          ***

When she arrived at Mike’s house (simple, in a pair of yoga pants and a loose t-shirt), she felt the nerves overtake her again, making her spine stiffen and her hips square. This had felt so _easy_ the first time around. Now, it was like she didn’t know what to do with her hands. Didn’t know how to be a real person.

Maybe she was just too keyed up to function.

She finally knocked on the door with a decisive nod, smiling a wide, dimpled smile of her own when he opened.

“Hey, Rook,” he said softly, holding the door open and letting her step inside. He rested a hand on her back in the foyer, and she could feel the heat seeping through her shirt, electricity running against her skin. If she needed proof that this was necessary, she certainly got it in the way her body reacted to his touch. She let her eyes travel around the house, marked by glass walls and an open concept floor plan.

“Nice place.” The words felt false, forced, and she tried again, tilting her head to look at him. “A glass bachelor pad really suits you,” she winked and grinned again, and was rewarded by a genuine chuckle, finally feeling like _their_ dynamic.

“I forgot you’ve never been here, have you?” He guided her with the hand on his spine, walking toward the interior of the house, only dropping it to take the lead in front of her. “Do you want the tour? A drink?” He cocked his brow back.

“A drink sounds good,” she nodded, following him into the kitchen and leaning back against the sink.

It was quite the upgrade from the little kitchenette in her hotel room. A wood paneled fridge, marble counters, a weird wall of blue bottles that she would tease him about if they didn’t have such specific plans for the evening. He retrieved two bottles of Stella from the fridge and handed one over, stepping into her space as she took a long drink.

“I was wondering if I’d get a call,” he murmured, reaching to rest his hand on her hip this time. It was closer, more familiar, and Ginny bit her lip as she watched him. “You were crawling out of your skin today.”

She blushed a little at the recognition, but she shouldn’t be surprised that Mike noticed. He seemed to know everything going on with his team. With her. “I woke up a little...off,” she shrugged and took a drink again before setting the bottle down. “Thought since you did such a good job getting my head straightened out last time…” she trailed off, but they both knew what went unsaid.

Ginny was struck by a moment to how similar this was to their botched morning just over a week ago. Trade beer for coffee, hardwood for bad hotel carpet, and her faded Padres t-shirt for a robe, and they’d be right back where it ended. Picking up where they left off. The image distracted her long enough that she almost didn’t notice when Mike lost his own bottle and moved into her space even more, his forehead pressing into hers.

“Well, as captain, I figure it’s my job to make sure everyone’s in the right...mindset.” She felt a shiver go up her spine at the honorific. Or was it the way his fingers trailed up her side and his lips descended on hers? She couldn’t tell. Either way, Ginny gave in to the sensation, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss as hard as it was given.

And it was hard. All of it was hard. The kiss, the grip on her hips, the way he unceremoniously lifted her and dropped her down on the counter. From someone else, it would border on disrespectful, but she knew Mike was learning from their previous encounter. He knew that she needed it rough. Dirty. Hard.

The moans left her mouth unbidden, into his mouth and then tilted back into the air when his lips made contact with her pulse point. Her nails dug into the skin of his neck, and were met with a deep hiss against her skin, plus a quick movement that left her back on her elbows. He made quick work of her shirt and bra, and paused only momentarily to run a palm across her torso to pinch at one of her nipples, earning a yelp that was followed quickly by a shuddery moan.

“You know, I didn’t think you’d be like this,” his words came unexpected, and Ginny strained to listen while also unconsciously grinding her hips forward into his stomach.

“L-like what?” she forced out, sure he could see the desperation in her eyes.

“So uninhibited. Desperate…” He growled it out like it was a dirty word, and Ginny struggled to stop herself from pleading for more. “You’re always so controlled.”

It wasn’t really _dirty talk_ , not in the conventional sense, but something about the words caused Ginny’s body temperature to ramp up about 15 degrees, and her mouth to fall open in a wanting gasp. She felt so _out_ of control in that moment. And knowing that he noticed - that she was with someone who knew the difference and was ready to make her feel it - filled her with such anticipation that she couldn’t wait anymore.

“Please, Mike…” she groaned out, guiding his hand down between her legs, forcing him to cup her through her pants. “Please…” His eyes darkened again, laser focused as he squeezed her once and then slowly, purposefully, peeled the black fabric off her body.

She was bare underneath - the purpose of panties lost on her since she knew where this was headed - and she was even more sure of her decision when his eyes snapped up to hers in a shocked, pleased expression. Ginny offered him a coy smile at that, and took hold of his wrist again, guiding his hand exactly where she wanted it.

“Please.”

It was on from there. Mike’s fingers moved with purpose, nothing soft or tentative about the way he slid his middle finger in with a twist and quickly added his index, watching for reactions as he worked inside her. And she gave as good as she got, pushing herself up on her elbows and forcing her hips off the counter so he could get deeper, hit her exactly where she needed.

When he stroked along her G spot, she let out another soft yelp, and his responding grin was teasing, wolfish. “That it, Gin? That what you like?”

Her response was a desperate groan as he continued his assault on the spot that made her scream, and slowly brought his thumb up to strum the same rhythm on her clit. Ginny was up higher now, thrusting her hips forward into him, her body shuddering with want and need and something being _filled_ inside her desperate body.

Her rise to climax came almost unexpectedly, and he was awarded just a single gasp and clench before she was exploding on his fingers, coming white hot and perfect, her body shaking with the weight of it. It seemed to last forever, waves of pleasure sliding over her pent up body until she finally dropped to the counter below, a hand coming up to cover her eyes as she came back down to Earth.

It was good. Better than the first time, even. But Ginny wasn’t shocked to discover that she needed more.

She peeked at Mike through the slats of her fingers. Found his teasing grin bearing down on her as his hands slid soothingly along the muscles of her thighs. She shook her head and closed the fingers before letting out a chuckle of her own. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” he teased, and squeezed at her thighs once.

“I can tell what you’re thinking, _Captain_ ,” she shook her head, her body too sated and happy for any nerves to remain.

It was a good minute before she finally dropped her hand and met his eyes, bringing her hands to his wrists. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she murmured and reached to tug at his shirt, sitting up in the process.

“Hmm,” he let out in response, giving her a look like maybe he liked it that way. Like maybe he got off on getting _her_ off while he was still fully dressed. That may be worth a second thought another time, when his hard on wasn’t so insistent against her thigh, and her need for a second go wasn’t so urgent.

She pulled his shirt off as he lifted her from the counter and let her stand, helping as she started on his pants. “Might be a better place for this than the kitchen,” she bit her lip coyly as she let his jeans drop to the floor. “Have I earned a trip to Mike Lawson’s bedroom?”

A huff of a laugh was all she got from that, and a hand on her hip, guiding her in that direction.

At the end of it all, they made it as far as his expansive - no doubt expensive - white couch, Mike apparently distracted by the desire to bend her over the arm. She turned her head to tease, but it got caught in her throat when a big, strong hand came down as a smack on her ass. She jumped, but also swallowed a loud moan at the feeling, twisting her hips back toward him. “Someone have a thing for my perfect, pear shaped ass?” She teased, throwing his words from 9 months before back in his face.

He scoffed and rubbed a soothing hand over the area he just spanked before squeezing and working his boxers down with the other hand. “Just figured an ass slap or two might make you feel at home.”

The condom seemed to appear out of nowhere, but Ginny was less concerned about logistics when the hand that had taken up residence on her ass guided her hips back toward his rock hard, waiting cock. He was bigger from this angle, her pussy pulled narrow and tight, but he still gave her just a second to get used to his length before he was pulling it out and slamming back in.

He set a deep, punishing rhythm, and Ginny returned the force of the thrusts by slamming her hips back into his. She would never be a passive participant, wouldn’t want to be, and from the way he swelled inside her, she knew he liked it. The volume of her moans only increased as he picked up the pace, her fingers clinging to the fabric of the couch, and she looked back at him with a real, almost daring look.

“Do it again.” She commanded, low and needy, and his eyes flashed with something unfamiliar. Shock, maybe? Mixed with complete and total desire that only served to give her what she wanted. He drew back his hand and brought it down hard on her cheek, causing a scream to fall from her lips before she felt a second, almost harder slap.

“You like that, Baker,” he growled down at her, his hips stuttering just once before continuing their assault, his hands pulling her up now to her tiptoes to slide impossibly deeper. It wasn’t a question. “Think you more than like it. Think you need it…” And she cried out again, bringing a hand between her legs as she felt herself cresting, rising to her climax. Mike let out a delicious growl and smacked her hand out of the way, replacing it with his own.

And that was enough. As soon as his fingers touched her clit, she was done for, coming a second, even harder time around his cock as she felt him shudder and empty right along with her. Like she pulled him to do it. It felt amazing, and painful, and everything she needed all at once.

Ginny lost track of the time it took to come back to herself, his body slumped forward against her back as his fingers traced her side. She suddenly felt exhausted, completely fucked out, and satisfied beyond belief, and she knew if she didn’t move soon she’d end up splayed on this couch for the foreseeable future.

She guided Mike upward with her body, sliding him out of her and standing, stealing one look back as he pushed away and went toward the bathroom to dispose of the condom. For the first time in their interaction, she felt dirty. Raw. Like she might have gone too far into something she shouldn’t have. She suddenly felt completely exposed, standing naked in his living room, and thought about re-entering the kitchen, getting dressed, and making her getaway before he came back.

When he did return - while she was gathering her clothes from the kitchen floor - he gave her a questioning eyebrow raise, crossing his arms like he was in the clubhouse, and not stark naked in his own foyer. “Whatcha doin, Baker?”

She gave him a guilty look, though she had no idea why, and shrugged with her arms full of discarded clothes. “Figured I’d get dressed before I called an Uber. They usually frown on naked passengers.”

He rolled his eyes at her, and she felt about 15 years old until he nodded toward the stairs. “Or you could sleep and call that Uber in the morning. Let me give you that tour of my bedroom you were so keen on earlier.”

A blush rose to her cheeks, and she swallowed hard when she considered the implications of his statement. “You want me to stay?”

He chuffed out a laugh as he walked toward the staircase, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m not that big an asshole, Baker. Especially not after your hospitality last weekend.” He turned his head to look at her, brow cocked once again in her direction. “You coming?”

She figured non-exclusive also allowed for sleepovers, and silently followed Mike to his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More girls night in the next chapter! Stay tuned...


	3. don't have the strength I once had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this one took forever. I have been dealing with a _lot_ in my personal life, and it's gotten all in the way of my fic writing. I hope this was worth the wait. I'm celebrating with potato chips and onion dip.
> 
> And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to @courtneymichelleloves

After her second time getting so worked up she almost exploded with pent up frustration, Ginny managed to settle into a workable sexual rhythm. She would on living her normal life for 5 or 6 days, working out, spending time with Noah, seeing her teammates, and then on the 6th or 7th she would find herself knocking on Mike’s door, biting her lip, and he would let her in without any words being exchanged. It was a little like working around her spot in a pitching rotation, only less routine, less reliable, and even more necessary.

Her nights with Mike only grew rougher and more adventurous. Ginny had a feeling that sex with Mike Lawson would never become ‘routine’, but the way he indulged even the smallest suggestion of a want was almost overwhelming, in the best possible way.

On their third night together, he finally let himself fuck her mouth - Ginny’s back pressed against the headboard, her hands digging into his ass as he guided his hips back and forth. It was a first for her, but one of those things she’d always thought of trying, and she loved the way his thick length filled her mouth and throat just about perfectly when he shot into them both. He tasted bitter, and she came from it - a hand pressed between her legs to grind out an orgasm. Mike’s gaping amazement when he finally fell beside her was enough to solidify it as a new move in her repertoire, and the way he forced her knees up and fucked her just 15 minutes later sealed the deal.

The nights began to blur together into a mix of sore muscles, hidden bruises, and bone shaking orgasms that left her sated and calm the next day. One particularly memorable night he spent a good 40 minutes camped out between her legs, using his tongue and fingers to send her into three in a row, orgasms just rolling one right after another. The blown out, vulnerable feeling stayed with her for a few days after that, and she resolved to do something about the _craziness_ her life had become.

But after another impressive dinner date with Noah and a couple more quality starts, she let any thoughts of stopping what had become a workable lifestyle leave her mind completely. 

          ***

By the next time Cara found her way to San Diego, Ginny felt like she had everything under control. Noah was happy, she was satisfied, Amelia could barely contain herself, and Al and the front office were none the wiser as to what had brought on this unexpected change in their second year starter. Mike...was inscrutable, but Mike had always been pretty tough to read, and if the sated smile on his face after a night together told her anything, he was fine with the arrangement.

So she went to Evelyn’s that night feeling calm, happy, truly content by the time she was laid out on the living room floor, laughing at Cara’s latest story of a runin with a cop that led to a phone number in her wallet and a direct line to LAPD, “You know, in case I ever need anything.” She fell into peals of laughter at that, Evelyn letting out a few screams of her own. The boys were out with Blip somewhere, the third bottle of wine had been sufficiently drained, and all three of them had settled into another ‘mandatory’ girls’ night.

“So, Ginny…” Evelyn turned on the couch to look down at her, and Ginny knew that voice anywhere. That was her ‘spill the tea’ voice. When she used that voice, Ginny rarely slipped away unscathed, and the grin Cara shot in her direction only proved she’d be getting it from both sides this evening.

She cocked a brow up at her tipsy friend and refrained from rolling her eyes. “So...what?” She dared her, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t known this was coming. Ginny was hyper aware that when the three of them got together, the topic of her love life was bound to come up. After all, she had overshared last time, allowed them in a bit too far, and they were almost contracted to want more. It was in the girls’ night handbook.

“Oh, you know what,” Cara chimed in, her wine sloshing a little but managing to stay in the glass, earning a reproving glare from Evelyn. “How’s the billionaire?”

“Noah?” Ginny let out stupidly. What other billionaire could she possibly be referring to? The wine severely limited  her ability to stall as she tried to decide how to answer the question. “He’s good...great, actually, he’s coming into town next week.”

“We all saw the picture of that tennis bracelet he got you…” She continued, the low pitch a telltale sign of prodding for details. “I take it that means things are going better for the two of you? A little less _frustrating_?”

Ahhh, the bracelet. A $45,000 limited edition Bulgari Serpenti that Noah’d had specially made for her to celebrate their 6 month anniversary. ( _6 months? What are we, in high school?_ She remembered thinking, but it was rude not to take the gift). The uniqueness of the bracelet had made both the tabloids and Vogue, complete with a paparazzi shot (skillfully staged by Amelia) of Noah giving her the silver-wrapped box over dinner in LA before she took off for the next day’s home game.

The bracelet was beautiful, actually, and very much Ginny’s style, which only made her feel all the more guilty when she was slipping it off her wrist and placing it on Mike’s nightstand later that night.

“I am definitely less...frustrated,” she chose her words carefully. Ginny was a terrible liar, so any hope of completely deceiving her girlfriends was out of the question. But she still didn’t need to give _everything_ away.. Especially to her teammate’s wife who had no hope of ever keeping a secret.

Ev’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she piled on with a question of her own. “You know, Blip _did_ mention you were a bit...calmer, these days, in the clubhouse…” Ginny pressed a hand over her eyes, shaking her head at how they got there this fast. “Does that mean you’re finally getting the sex you deserve?”

Ginny dropped her hand and gave her a dark glare, rolling her eyes at the word choice. “If I tell you I’m definitely getting the sex I _deserve_ , can we maybe drop this for once?”

She should have known better. Evelyn and Cara cackled with laughter, a fourth bottle of wine opening in the chaos. Ginny raised her glass for a refill, hoping for once her friends would get the hint and drop this before an uncomfortable conversation became an embarrassing confession session that she wouldn’t be able to slow down.

“Ohhhhh, that’s what I like to hear!” Evelyn somehow managed to screech out while also sipping from her glass. “So how’d you do it? How did you get Noah to give you what you want?”

Ginny froze, her own wine glass halfway to her lips. She hadn’t expected that. Hadn’t expected so pointed a question so fast, and she inwardly chastised herself for not having an answer ready for the occasion. It’s not like she hadn’t known they would ask about this, and she should have planned a way to talk about Mike without actually _talking_ about Mike so her girls would be satisfied. However, she hadn’t prepared. Hadn’t thought that it would come up so bluntly, and she was at a total loss for words.

The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity, and Ginny knew she had given herself away.

Cara figured it out first, her face a mixture of shock and pure, gleeful excitement as she sat up, crossed her legs, and leered down at her. “Gin…Noah is the one giving you this great sex, right?”

The second pointed silence was enough for everyone to get the hint. Evelyn let out a trademark ‘WHAT?’ and Cara hid her laugh in the wineglass. For her part, Ginny tried to look _anywhere_ but at her friends, eyes finally settling on a small paint spot on the Sanders’ ceiling. She was surprised Evelyn had even let it be there, and wondered momentarily if Blip had insisted on doing the painting himself to save money. That would be like him…

“GINNY,” Evelyn’s snapping fingers brought her back to reality, and she tilted her head back down to give her a sheepish look. “Wait just a minute here...if it’s not Noah, then who is it?”

“I don’t want to talk about this…” Ginny mumbled into her glass and downed it, wondering if it would look conspicuous to pour another.

“Ohhhh, no, we’re talking about this, Baker,” Cara was in her space again, and Ginny knew resistance would be futile. That wasn’t how her best friends worked, after all. She’d have to give them something. “Who is he?”

“He’s just a guy, ok?” She propelled herself into a sitting position and leaned against the coffee table. “He’s no one special.” The words felt false leaving her lips, but she quickly tamped that down as soon as it rose up. She didn’t need to make this worse tonight.

“ _No one special,_ ” Evelyn mimicked and rolled her eyes. “When did you even have time to meet someone else?” Ginny could see the wheels turning, even through the wine, but she tried to hold off the downward spiral as long as she was able.

“Would you believe Tinder?” She quirked a brow up.

“No, I would not,” Evelyn dismissed her joke and tapped her chin in a caricature of contemplation. “Let’s see...maybe at that Topps party? But you were with us all night….Seriously, Ginny, where could you meet this guy? Any time you don’t spend with Noah you’re with us, or her, or hanging out with freaking ballplayers.” Ginny avoided the wide eyed stare, but knew she’d been caught, sighing and dropping her chin to her chest.

“You’re sleeping a BALLPLAYER?!” Evelyn screeched out, grabbing Ginny’s shoulder in a way that was almost painful, eliciting an ‘OW!’ and a hateful glare.

Cara, for her part, looked almost disappointed. “What’s the big deal? You’re not exactly the first person to hook up with a coworker…” She poured herself another glass and twirled the stem in her fingers.

“Yeah, but Ginny has a cooooode…” Evelyn sang out, and Ginny wondered, not for the first time that evening, if carpet were easier to disappear into than hardwood floors. “So who is he? Someone local, if you’re getting it on the regular…” She tapped her chin again, and Cara chuckled at the theatrics.

“Oooh, is it Clayton Kershaw? He’s hot…” Cara suggested.

“Clayton’s married, I know his wife,” Evelyn dismissed. “Carlos Perez? He’s single, I know he told Blip he had a thing for you.”

Ginny scoffed off the suggestion, and filed away that piece of information for later. Mike would have a field day with that, and probably give Perez the business at the plate next time they faced off against the Angels. That would be fun…

“Then who _is_ it, Ginny?” Evelyn was downright frustrated now, her glass long abandoned. “I know you wouldn’t date a team…” She trailed off, realization dawning, her face frozen and stark at the discovery she’d made. The dangerous discovery that Ginny had been trying to keep from everyone. Then her eyes started to light up, her lips stretched into a grin, and Ginny knew she was doomed.

Cara wasn’t as quick on the uptake, and looked between them with a furrowed brow. “Is that it? It’s a teammate? Well, don’t leave us hanging, which one?”

The silence was once again palpable, and Ginny cleared her throat before responding, though it came out weak. “It’s Mike Lawson. I’m sleeping with Mike Lawson.”

Evelyn’s squeal could probably be heard all the way in La Jolla, while Cara seemed to be deciphering something in her head. “Which one is Mike?” Evelyn looked downright scandalized as she figured it out. “Wait, big dude? Beard, limp, perpetual scowl? Looks like he’d throw you across the room?”

“That’d be the one!” Evelyn’s glee ramped up at the details, if that was even possible. “Wait,” she turned back to Ginny. “When did this happen? How long has it been going on?”

Ginny contemplated the best way to make her escape, to no avail. If they were going to know, she might as well share the details. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to. “The first time was after the last Braves’ series? When I had that really bad start and the guys took me out after?”

“That was like a month ago!” Evelyn said. “This has been going on for a _month_ and you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t tell anyone!” She protested. “And I still haven’t, so please don’t tell Blip, Ev…”

She waved her off, before an evil expression crossed her face. “Oh, I won’t...provided you do something for me.”

“What’s that?”

“I want details.”

Cara raised her glass in a mock toast, “Hear hear!”, earning an eye roll from Ginny.

“Alright, fine, what do you want to know this time?” She poured the rest of the wine into her cup, needing more than 4 glasses of liquid courage for this conversation.

“Everything,” they said in unison, before Evelyn continued. “Is it as big as everyone says it is?”

Ginny let out a surprised laugh and shook her head. “Seriously, Ev? That’s where you start?” Her friend shrugged and she sighed once more before mumbling out, “bigger.”

The howled laughter kept coming as Cara thought of a follow up. “And he knows how to use it? I take it you’re leaving...satisfied, at least.”

“Oh, he knows how to use it,” Ginny eased into the conversation, sipping from her glass. “Or maybe he’s just psychic? He always seems to know exactly what I need when I come over, exactly how to calm me down.”

“See, I’ve always found it’s better when they work you up,” Cara winked.

“Well, he does that too. But I’m usually pretty worked up when I arrive, so it doesn’t exactly take him a lot to get me going.” She was blushing, embarrassed, but the duo was eating up everything she gave them.

“Is it rough?” Evelyn tried, her voice gravelly and hoarse.

“It’s not tame…” Ginny laughed, thinking back to their last encounter, when Mike had managed to hold her against the wall with just one hand so the other could tug at her hair. It was the hardest she’d ever come. “He’s pretty..strong.” She shrugged. “I guess we’re both pretty strong.”

“So, what about Noah?” Cara asked, and it was like a hammer hitting Ginny square in the chest. It was the thing she’d been holding onto, the one thing she didn’t have to figure out. She could go out with Noah, the right choice, and everyone could be happy, and then she could go to Mike when she needed the things that Noah couldn’t give her. So what if she thought about Mike a little more often than was appropriate. So what if she couldn’t always muster up the excitement to go to dinner with Noah when she knew Mike would be waiting for her call later that night. This was _working_. For everyone. Why would she fuck that up?

She hoped her nonchalant shrug came off as casual as she intended. “We’re not exclusive. And Mike and I aren’t...anything. It’s just fun, stress relief, nothing more than it has to be.”

Evelyn didn’t look convinced. If anything, she looked concerned at Ginny’s characterization of the situation. But after a moment, she let it go, and that conspiratorial glint traveled back into her eyes.

“So…” she teased, her voice low and syrupy. “Does the carpet match the face?”

          ***

As reluctant as she may have been, revealing her secret life to her girlfriends had Ginny feeling lighter than she had in weeks. When she entered the clubhouse after her pre-game workout, she was walking on air, joking with Livan, dancing with Sonny, keeping her mood from the day before going as long as possible.

The team reacted as expected to a good Ginny Baker mood: with merciless teasing and mirthful joking. From everyone but Mike Lawson, whose mood seemed to sour as hers improved. It was a reality she would have to examine later, maybe point out next time they were alone, but for now she was content to revel in her happiness and let her grouchy captain stew in whatever was going on with him.

The good mood lasted through all 9 innings of a solid Padres win. She wasn’t starting, so she contented herself to camp out on the top step of the dugout, leaning on folded arms as Sonny _dealt_. Mike played like a man possessed, coming a triple short of the cycle and notching 5 RBI. She watched riveted, mouth buried in her arms, an odd mixture of pride and pure excitement coursing through her body. When he improved their lead with a bomb in the 8th, the sensation only became more pronounced and pointed, and Ginny found herself pressing her thighs together in an unexpected swell of something different.

She was turned the _fuck_ on.

And if the look on his face was any indication, Mike knew it. As he crossed home plate, his eyes locked on hers, and Ginny didn’t dare move for fear of betraying exactly what was going on behind the surface. She rose long enough to knock her arm against his, and he gave her the _look_ that she’d come to associate with their weekly meetings. The one that said ‘I hope you know you’re gonna get it later’. The one that made her wet in an instant.

All of a sudden, Ginny couldn’t wait for the game to be over. She could almost feel Mike’s eyes on her from his own spot in the dugout, burning a hole into her hair, her back, her ass…

She barely registered the celebration when the Padres got the win. She high fived her teammates, thanked Al, gave a few smiles to the crowd, but all of her attention was focused on the insistent need pulsing between her thighs. She wondered if she could get into Mike’s car without anyone noticing, or if she’d need to go back to her place first to avoid raising suspicion. If that was the case, she should get dressed here into easy to remove clothes, because Mike wouldn’t want to waste the time to take them off. Or should she find something easy to rip…

Her brain flipped through option after option, so distracted that she didn’t see the duo waiting for her right outside her private cubby.

“Ginny, look who’s here!” Amelia exclaimed, and her eyes snapped up to see the smiling face of her boyfriend.

_Fuck_

“Noah!” She let out, knowing her voice _must_ sound stilted and false. He didn’t seem to notice, reaching forward to wrap her in a hug. “I thought you were in Dubai until Friday.”

“I got an early flight, I thought I’d surprise you.” He pulled back to grin down at her. “You surprised?”

“So surprised.” That was an understatement. Ginny had been counting on a few days to herself, especially after letting Cara and Ev in, and now here he was. In the flesh. In _her_ clubhouse, which wasn't a first in their relationship, but rare enough that she didn't quite know how to behave. Postgame was usually the time for decompression, and it was tough to decompress with those expectant eyes trained on her face.

Plus there was the small factor of the pressure she felt between her thighs that was becoming less and less likely to get relieved.

And speak of the Devil...almost as soon as Ginny's mind wandered to what she _wouldn't_ be doing tonight, Mike Lawson appeared at her side, standing just a little too close, his elbow brushing hers. "Baker, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Ginny wasn't proud of the way her body froze. She wasn't proud of the way she couldn't seem to form sentences. Wasn't proud of the way she looked between Noah and Mike with pure terror in her eyes.

Lucky for her, Mike hadn't been expecting a response and stuck his hand out to shake Noah's. "Hey, man, Mike Lawson."

"Noah Casey." She looked down at their hands as they shook, if only to avoid the inscrutable expression in Amelia's eyes. "Great game today, man, that homer was impressive."

"Thanks, yeah, it's easy when you have the right motivation." Ginny actually dug her fingers in her thigh as she looked up at Mike, a fake smile before turning it on Noah.

"Yeah, we're still in the playoff hunt!" Was her voice always that high? She could hear Mike huff out an amused chuckle behind her. Noah, once again, didn't seem to notice.

"Sure," Mike winked at Noah. Actually winked. And Ginny tried to figure out if there was any way she'd get out of this unscathed. "But I'm sure you know something about motivation with this one. Hardest worker I know."

Her cheeks heated at that, suddenly hyper aware of Mike's arm against hers. When she didn't chip in, he continued. “I mean, with most of the guys I have to be the one riding them all the time, making sure they stay on task. With Baker here, she’s the one always riding me.”

Ginny swallowed hard, heart pounding in her chest. Amelia’s eyes narrowed. Mike continued.

“Though I’m sure you know all about that.”

If Noah suspected anything, he didn’t betray it on his face. Instead, the grin stayed stretched on his face and he sent a look at Ginny that was almost endearing. “Oh, yes. She’s definitely a driven woman.” Ginny could hear Mike swallow another smirk.

“Yeah, we’re glad to have her,” and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing obviously and pushing her into motion.

“Okay, well, enough compliments. I need to get showered and changed.” Her smile was wide, forced, and she could tell Amelia noticed. “Noah, I’ll meet you after?” She leaned in to kiss him and shrugged off Mike’s arm before heading into her changing area and shutting the door hard behind her, collapsing down onto the bench and burying her head in her hands. 

          ***

“He’s pretty...territorial, huh?”

Noah sat sprawled out on the booth across from her, tucked into the back corner of a restaurant that was once the toast of San Diego, but had settled enough to allow them a nice, uninterrupted date night. Ginny paused for just a split second, forkful of pasta halfway to her mouth, and prayed that he didn’t notice by replacing the expression with a nonchalant shrug.

“He gets like that after games sometimes. I swear he thinks the locker room should be off limits to everyone,” she chuckled and took a long swig of her beer.

“Especially your part of the locker room, apparently.” She quirked a brow at his near grumble.

“You jealous, Casey?” She grinned, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s sweet.”

He scoffed, drinking from his own glass and sending an amused look in her direction. “I’m not allowed to be a little jealous of my girlfriend’s muscle-bound teammates?” She shrugged, afraid that anything said verbally would give her away. “Don’t worry, babe, I trust you.”

Ginny looked up from her drink, confusion coursing through her and culminating in a furrowed brow. “Trust me? To do...what, exactly?”

Noah laughed, and she felt a wave of dread wash past the confusion. “Oh, you know, not to do anything with your teammates just because your boyfriend’s not in town.” To say the sentence took her off guard was an understatement. Apparently there were some things that _did_ need to be said.

“Noah...we’re not exclusive,” she finally said, her furrowed brow only deepening. “Not that I’m doing anything with a teammate,” she added quickly, the first time since this started that she’d directly _lied_ about what she was doing. She tried not to consider the implication.. “But we...I mean, we never talked about that.”

“I didn’t know we had to _talk_ about seeing other people, Ginny, especially not with your schedule…”

“I have prospects, Noah.” She tried to keep the conversation light, funny, joking, but she couldn’t help but feel her chest start to tighten. 

_Breathe, Ginny. This is Noah. You like Noah._

“I never thought you were prospect-less, Gin,” he laughed and finished his drink. “I mean, I have _seen_ you. But I haven’t been with anyone else since we’ve been together. Have you?”

If her chest had been tight before, it was reaching vice-like territory now. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. Wasn’t sure what was safe to say when Noah was gazing at her without a care in the world, so sure she was going to say no, so _sure_ it was only him she’d been with. Flashes of Mike carded through her head at breakneck pace. His body stretched out beside hers. His bare chest as he sat against her headboard. His perfect ass as he escaped to the shower. How was she supposed to own up to that and still keep Noah here? How was she supposed to keep it together if she had to be _honest_?

She settled for a half truth.

“You can’t just _ask_ me that, Noah,” she sighed and finished her own beer. “Not when we haven’t had the _talk_.”

_The_ talk _. What was this, high school?_

“Well, then let’s _talk_ , Ginny,” he reached over to grab her hand. It felt foreign, like she was watching the hand holding from across the room. “I’m not seeing anyone else. What do you say about making it just you and me for a while?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no REAL smut in this one. I promise I'll make up for it in the next chapter ;) Plus an Amelia convo you won't want to miss.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr at [Bawsanity](http://bawsanity.tumblr.com).
> 
> Comments and Kudos give me life.


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